Coffee
by connormacmanus'girl
Summary: Coffee can really change your outlook on someone. Especially when it gets thrown in your face. OCFB
1. Chapter 1

Hey, guys. I hate to admit, but I love iCarly…

I own nothing having to do with iCarly, blah blah blah…

----------------------------------------------

I walk into the new school to start the new school year in Seattle. I twist the numbers on the combination lock to open the suckish locker on the bottom row. "Bye, Carly!" I then hear a huge crash and feel legs on my back. "I…am so sorry!" I look over to see a really cute guy (The stuff of fairy tales, I suppose). I feel my cheeks turn red as he pulls his legs from my back. "Hi. I…don't think I've seen you around before. Your first year?"

"Yeah, I'm in ninth grade. My name's Brooke Hayes."

"I'm in ninth, too. I'm Freddie Benson. Where did you come from?"

"My…mother's vagina, where else?"

"No, I meant…where did you move from? Your accent is definitely not west coast." I nod.

"Boston, Massachusetts. I actually dated a guy named Freddy until about a week before moving here."

"I'm sorry it ended."

"Yeah, we were dating for about a year. Oh, before I forget! Can you tell me how to get to room 308?"

"Oh, sure. I go there next, so I'll just take you!" I nod. "Well, no time like the present." I chuckle and close my locker. "Is that your natural hair color?" He asks. I hear him gulp hard and chuckle.

"Yes, because bleach blonde and electric blue are totally natural hair colors." He chuckles nervously.

"Wh-why did you choose th-those colors?" I shrug.

"Why not?" I pause. "You're not, like, against individuality, are you?" He shakes his head. "Well, individuality isn't profoundly individual anymore."

"I…totally agree." He says nervously. I stop him.

"Freddie! Calm down! I should be the nervous one! It's my first day, not yours. Please try to remain calm and just…go with the flow." I put my hand on his shoulder. "You're gonna make it, I swear!" I laugh as I grab the buckle and strap that runs across my sternum. I walk up the rest of the stairs with Freddie following after a deep breath. "So, Freddie…what're your hobbies?"

"I work on the technical aspects of iCarly."

"What's that?"

"Uh…did they not have Internet in Boston?"

"Yeah, we do." I pause. "Our main concerns on the Internet were MySpace/Facebook, YouTube, and for me, Quizilla." He nods.

"Well, it's a…semi-famous web show that me and my friends put together. There's live casts every two days at five pm."

"I'll have to check that out sometime." We enter the classroom.

"Oh, you must be Brooke!" The teacher says happily. I nod.

"Yup, that's me. The Brookster."

"Fredd-ay!" I hear yelled beside me. "Who's this?"

"Oh, Sam…this is Brooke."

"Hey, Brooke. I'm Sam-antha. You can call me Sam."

"You can call me Brooke, Brookie, or The Brookster. Whatever tickles your fancy at the moment." Freddie whispers something to Sam with a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, great…Watch out, Brookie. Nerd zone ahead." I chuckle.

"Freddie, isn't the desk in front of you free? Brooke you can sit there."

"Thanks." I wait for Freddie to sit and I follow. I turn sideways to get a better view of the class (We're on the wall). "Hey, you've got to meet Carly today." I nod.

"Sure, I'll bite."


	2. Chapter 2

-----

"Carly, this is the…new girl, Brooke." I shake her hand, but she doesn't make eye contact, which is a big no-no.

"So, Carly, Sam, and Freddie…"

"What's Boston like?" Freddie asks.

"It's not that special. Just like you guys think that Seattle isn't that special." Only Sam and Freddie nod. "May I ask what's the matter, Carly?"

"She's only jealous because Freddie thinks you're better. And, trust me, that's amazing." Sam whispers quietly.

"Are they going out?" She shakes her head.

"No, but he's constantly giving her attention. She's not used to this…not-attention-ness." I nod.

"Okay, thanks, Sam." I look up and see the two eating their lunch. I, on the other hand, have nothing in front of me. "Hey, Freddie…" He looks up from his lunch.

"Yeah?" He says slightly muffled thanks to the food in his mouth.

"Wanna go get some coffee after school? You can show me some good coffee houses."

He stammers, "Y-y-yeah, b-but I have t-to ask m-my mom."

"Me too. Hey, I can stop by your house to ask with you and then vice versa!"

"M-my house?" I nod. "Wow…" He breathes. "Okay!"

"Doesn't your mom have a 'no-girl' policy?" Carly asks rudely.

"Only on you because I have a crush on you and Sam…because she's Sam."

"Well, that's not fair."

"My house is just like yours, but with more stuff and a mom."


	3. Chapter 3

"So? You go over to my house all of the time!"

"Carly! Please stop. He can't control the rules that his mom has over him! Stop being rude! If you want, then I'll stop invading your… 'territory'" I put 'territory' in air quotes. With that, I pick up my backpack and walk off.

-

"Gee, thanks, Carly. Someone that I really like and I actually have a chance with shows up and is willing to be with me and you have to drive her away. Have I ever done that to you?" I throw on my backpack and run after her.

-

"Brooke! Brooke, wait up!" I turn to Freddie and his jogging comes to a halt. "I am so sorry about Carly. I don't know why she's acting like this."

"Because she's a little attention whore, Freddie. Sam told me about your crush on her and how she treats you. She's just jealous because you and Sam weren't paying a lot of attention to her."

"That…makes sense, surprisingly."

"Then there ya go!" I smile.

-----

"Hello, Mrs. Benson."

"Why, hello! What's your name?"

"Brooke Hayes. I was wondering, since I'm new in town, if your son would accompany me to get some coffee." She smiles.

"Why, of course, dear! Freddie, just be home by five." He nods.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Benson! It was nice to meet you!"

"You too, dear! Come by again soon!" We walk out of the house and head towards my own.

-----

"Thanks for taking me here, Freddie. It would get lonely talking to myself about my own ideas."

"You talk to yourself?"

"…I was kidding."

-

This disguise is ingenious! I'll definitely sabotage them! Watch her take my attention for herself after this! Carly, you're a genius.

-

I walk up to the counter and see the girl putting whipped cream on top of the coffee. "Can we speed this up, please?" I see brown liquid fly at me and make contact with my shirt. My second favorite shirt is soaked and I begin to say 'ow' a lot in rapid succession. "Brooke, are you okay?!" Freddie yells.

"Oops…" Says a familiar voice. I look up and it turns out to be Carly herself.

"_Carly_?!" Freddie says in disbelief. "Brooke…go ahead and clean yourself up. I nod and walk into the bathroom.

-

"Carly, how could you?! I really like her! Why would you stoop this low just to get my attention? I thought you were my friend!" He pauses. "Carly, just…bask in your glory because negative attention is better than none. And…until further notice, we're officially over as friends. Maybe that will teach you something." He walks over towards the bathroom and the seriousness of what I've done slowly sinks in.

-

A knock comes at the door, so I open it. "You okay?" I nod.

"Yeah, I've just got to dry this out and I'll be fine." I head over to the hand dryer and hold my shirt under it. "Thanks for standing up for me. I heard what you said and it means a lot." I finish drying my shirt and look down at it. "I need a new shirt." He chuckles.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Okay, this isn't TOTALLY relevant now, but it will be. Freddie's mom is totally out of character. That's a no-no for Fan-Fic…ers…but –shrugs-

------------------------------------------

"Alright, sounds good. We can find a shop." We walk out of the bathroom and Carly is gone. "I feel like I have to apologize, so I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's cool! It's not going to get me down today!" He smiles softly as a blush dusts his cheeks. "You're even cuter when you blush, did you know that?" This statement makes him blush even more, which makes me giggle. We walk into a shop that catches our eye. "This place is pretty cool." I then pick out a shirt with the help of Freddie." We walk out of the shop and I look ahead to see Pike's Place. "Thank you for being so kind to me."

"No, thank you. No one has ever asked me to do something with them outside of school before. I also had a really good time today. Well, except for the whole 'Carly' thing." I smile.

"Glad I could provide that for you." We end up at a Russian place called 'Piroshky Piroshky'. It's really small and the line ends just at the door.

"Their food is so good, Brooke. You have to try it." We order the food and end up walking back to the apartments because it's four-thirty.

"You were right. These are bomb!"

"I'm glad you like it so much." He swallows hard. "C-Can I hold your…hand? It's…cold." I smile and blush at the question. I lace our fingers and I look at him with innocent eyes as I take a bite. "Wow…" He breathes. "No one's ever held my hand before."

"Really? I'm surprised!" I chuckle before taking another bite.

"Why?" I shrug as I readjust so our hands are held more tightly. His palm against mine and his fingers are nice. His hands are surprisingly dry. I memorize his hand in mine and vice versa. I also take time to memorize how his hand and fingers fit in mine. We enter my apartment building and begin talking in the elevator. "Thanks for walking me home. Will you be okay walking by yourself?" He nods.

"It's only a building up, so I should be fine." He walks me to my door and smiles.

"I would say come in for dinner or something, but you only have fifteen minutes. I'd also give you a kiss on your cheek, but my policy is either holding hands or a kiss on the first date." I pause and open the door. "Goodnight, Freddie." He puts up his hand.

"Goodnight, Brooke. I'll see you tomorrow." I slide in and close the door and, when it's securely shut, I lean against it and I end up squealing, as I stand on my own.

-

I smile as I hear a happy squeal from the other side of the door. I can't believe she's so willing to be with me. "Yes!" I say quietly with an arm pump.

-

-6 months later-

I sigh as I fix my hair. I got chosen to be set up with a blind date. I hope he's cute and the boss of dates. The doorbell rings and I see Freddie Benson. "Well, isn't this a surprise?" He smiles.

"When I found out it was you, I was kind of shocked. I hope everything's perfect tonight."

"That's okay if it's not." He holds out his elbow and I take it. "Thank you very much, good sir."

-----

"Jesus, won't this be expensive?"

"That's okay. I've been saving up." I look around the really nice restaurant and it begins to make me feel underdressed.

"So, Freddie…what do you want to do with your life?" He shrugs.

"I was thinking about directing, writing, and/ or editing films. What about you?"

"I want to be a psychologist with acting or writing on the side."

"I see. Very good aspirations." I nod as the first course comes along. "I've known you for, what? Six months?" I nod. "And I'm sure Sam told you about my crush on you." He sighs and after, he takes a deep breath. "Brooke, will you…go out with me?" He looks at me and it looks like he's sweating bullets. I smirk as an idea pops up into my head.

"No…not until you dance with me. You give me my dance, and then I will be your girlfriend." He stands and holds out his hand, which I take. Freddie walks me to the dance floor where several couples are dancing already. He holds out his left hand, which I take and I place my hand on his shoulder and his unoccupied hand rests on my hip.

He leads me expertly around the dance floor. "Do you take lessons?" He nods.

"I've taken a couple that were only one or two sessions long. I can salsa dance as well."

"Me too. I can waltz well. Well…you're experiencing that now."

"I do a little tap, too. My mom made me in fourth grade."

"I can do ballet, too." He smirks and it makes me melt. I smirk right back and only hope I can give him the same feeling. "If only we were alone in this restaurant." He gulps and tenses a little.

"Wh-why?"

"Because I don't like to dance much in front of people." He kind of relaxes. "What? Did you think that I'd want to have sex with you or something?" He shakes his head.

"Never. I don't think you operate that way."

"I don't." At the end, he dips me and looks me in the eyes.

"I can't believe you're mine now." He picks me back up and holds out his elbow. I take it and he leads me to the table. He pulls out the chair and helps me push it back in. "Thank you." I say before a small smile.


	5. Chapter 5

"I can't believe you're mine now." He picks me back up and holds out his elbow. I take it and he leads me to the table. He pulls out the chair and helps me push it back in. "Thank you." I say before a small smile.

-----

I exit the elevator and we're greeted by Carly. "Carly…" Freddie says bitterly.

"Hello, Carly." I say kind of complacently.

"Freddie, Brooke…" She flips her hair and walks off to the elevator. We shake our heads and enter the apartment. "Hello, Mrs. Benson! Thank you for letting me coming over."

"Oh, it's no problem. So…how about it? Are you two going steady yet?"

"He just asked me over dinner. I said yes."

"But she was…hesitant? Can I put it that way? She said that she would've only said yes if I danced with her. We cut a pretty good rug out there, mom."

"I'm glad you chose her over Carly, Freddie." I become curious at her statement.

"What's wrong with Carly?"

"She seems like such a manipulative twit. She gives off an uningnorable arrogant air. She dresses nicely, but a little too nicely. Now, this is totally the opposite of you. You have a good head on your shoulders from what I've gathered over the months. Your hair threw me off a little, but you have everything my son needs in a relationship." I smile.

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Benson! You know…you should meet my mother. I'm sure you'll get along famously!"

"Maybe I will meet her someday. Now…how about something to drink?"

"Do you have any hot chocolate?"

"Yes, I believe we do." She rummages through the cupboards and pulls out a giant can of hot chocolate powder. "Please relax while I make it." I nod and sit on the couch next to Freddie who is watching the news. The reporter begins to speak with a picture of Carly and Sam next to her head (A/N: Reporter is in italics). _Disaster for local web show hosts? Tonight, the very popular, live web show, "iCarly", turned into a disaster zone when the camera man/techie, Freddie Benson, did not show up. The two hosts, Carly Shay and Samantha Puckett, made a huge mockery of themselves while trying to work the camera and special effects themselves. Carly, who is the main host, was left for dead when Samantha walked out on her. She commented on how Carly ruined everything by driving Freddie away. _

"Are you serious? I haven't been doing iCarly for six months!"

_We found Sam for an exclusive interview. Here's __her__ take on the whole incident. _It cuts to an interview with Sam. _We are still trying to locate Freddie Benson for an interview._ The TV turns off.

"I…am so sorry"

"No, don't be. I guess it just…fell apart tonight. I've been keeping tabs on the show and I, not to be conceited, pretty much was the best thing to happen to that show. Without me, obviously, they're nothing. I wanna see how long it takes Carly to ask, no, beg me to come back." I chuckle and pat his knee.

"Good luck, hon."

"Since when do we have pet names?"

"I call everyone that." He smirks

"So, I don't get a special nickname?"

"What…do you want one?" He shrugs. "I can call you…Panda Bear!"

"Panda Bear?" He asks as though he's expecting something more. The door emits a knock and we walk to the door to answer. "Hi, I'm Bryan from Chan-…"

"I know. You want an interview." Freddie moves aside so the man can come in. "Don't you need a camera?"

"It's in my bag." He looks up to see me. "Well…who's this?" He says in a flirting manner. Freddie looks up from the newspaper to look at me, then him, and then he looks back at the paper to say "My girlfriend, Brooke Hayes." Very nonchalantly. It's almost…hot the way he says it. "She's pretty much the reason Carly's show did so bad. But, I'll divulge more later."

"I'll have to interview her too then." I nod and the interviews commence. They don't take very long, so he's out of the house before I realize it.


	6. Chapter 6

"I'll have to interview her too then." I nod and the interviews commence. They don't take very long, so he's out of the house before I realize it. I collapse on the couch. "That was particularly enervating."

"You're telling me!" Freddie says while collapsing next to me. Mrs. Benson brings us two mugs of hot chocolate. "That took forever, mom."

"You shouldn't rush perfection."

"Thank you, Mrs. Benson."

"You're quite welcome." Freddie turns to me as I belt a yawn.

"Wanna watch a movie?" I nod sleepily which causes him to get up and put in a cinematic adventure. I put my cell phone on the coffee table and predict that I won't last even twenty minutes.

-----

I try to open my eyes and I'm pretty successful at it. The heavy aroma of breakfast floods my nostrils as I rub an eye. "Finally!" Says Freddie from an unknown part of the house. I sit up frantically, forgetting where I am, and look around a few times skeptically. He's standing in the kitchen in pajamas. "My mom had to go to work. She'll be back around one." He pauses to flip a few things. "Your mom wants you home by noon."

"What time is it?"

"Nearly eleven."

"Do you have a toothbrush and hairbrush I could borrow?"

"Yeah, they're on the counter in the bathroom." I nod and yawn as I begin the trek to the upstairs bathroom. Lo and behold, there's a toothbrush and hairbrush. I use them well and jog back down to the island. I stand on the side nearest the living room and Freddie places a small plate in front of me. I snatch up a piece of bacon and take a bite. "Not bad, Benson. It's really good!" I saunter to the other side of the counter and lean against it.

"Hey, Brooke…do you think I'm a geek?" This look comes onto my face -0.0-.

"No! Where did that come from?!" He shrugs. "I'm a geek, dude!"

"…You're a geek?" I nod. "And I'm not? …Are you okay?"

"Yeah…I've played and beat every single Final Fantasy, I go to Sakura Con every year, I get obsessive over things like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings." I sigh. "I'm even working on my Sakura Con costume right now."

He gets an incredibly love-struck look on his face as he says, "Marry me!" in a dreamy, nerdy way. I chuckle.

"Maybe when we're older." I pat his shoulder and sit up.

"Man…Sam isn't going to be able to make fun of me and my love life now!"

"You're very physically attractive and your knowledge of shiny metal components is a huge turn on too."

"Really?" I nod.

"Yeah, physical attraction with your smarts… It's not common at all."

"Thanks. Hey, do you wanna go to the Star Wars convention with me this weekend?" I sigh.

"Okay, I went to one. Just one…and I never want to go back. They're fat, smelly losers and…" I shudder. "I don't even wanna discus it. I will anyways… I was mobbed by a bunch of those fat losers. They enclosed me in a circle and…" I shake my head. "I still smell it from time to time."

"What did you go as?"

"Princess Leia…"

"That's not so ba-…"

"In the slave costume."

"The _slave_ costume?!" I nod.

"I'll go, but only one day."

"Never mind. You don't have to go if you had an experience like that." I nod.

"It's for the best."

-----

I sigh as I walk up the slight incline to my own apartment building.

-----

I close my locker and stand to find Freddie. "Freeeediiie!" I hug him. "What's up?" He shrugs.

"Not much, but I believe…this is where we first met, girlfriend."

"I do believe you're correct, boyfriend." It's been about three months since we first started dating. He's the boss of boyfriends. "Did I ever tell you that you are the boss when it comes to boyfriends?"

"Really now? Did I tell you that you're the…president, governor, and mayor when it comes to girlfriends?" I smile and see Sam coming up beside us. I lean in and kiss him quickly.

"I don't believe my eyes. Freddie and Brooke kissin' in public!"

"We've been kissin' in public for two months, Sam." Freddie says while shaking his hands mockingly, like it's a big shock.

"Well, this is the first time I've seen ya kiss." She returns the gesture, but leans forward slightly. "And it's kinda gross."

"Now that I have a girlfriend…" He puts his hands into his pockets and very slowly walks forward. "that loves me for me…you can't make fun of me in that respect anymore." He stops in front of her and he's about an inch and a half taller.

"You've grown, Freddie."

"In more ways than you can see, Sam." He says matter-of-factly. A look of disgust falls over her face.

"Oh…that's just wrong." He smirks.

"Yeah…you know you want some of this."

"Oh, in your dreams, super-geek."


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh, in your dreams, super-geek." We all walk to class, but when we enter, we realize that we've lost Sam.

-

"So?!" I say frantically. I sent Sam to get me some information.

"She loves him."

"She loves him?!"

"Well, they're not in love, but they love each other." I sigh and lean against the lockers. "Sorry, Carls."

"Oh, it's okay. You know…I just didn't think I'd be this bothered by Freddie having a girlfriend. I thought I'd be at least a little bit happier for him, but noooooo! She had to be the perfect girl for him!"

"She's actually really fricken rad."

"Yeah, well…she's pushes my buttons." She says in a childish way while closing her locker.

-

-----

So…the three of us are headed to Freddie's house to pick stuff up so he can stay the night. Sam's mom is dropping some stuff off…it's all good. We enter the hallway where Freddie and Carly's houses are and Carly appears. "Freddie…Can the thre-…" She pauses and sees Sam. "Sam?"

"Heh heh…heeeey, Carly…" She says nervously.

"Whatever. Can we talk?" We nod and enter her apartment. The interior is amazing. We all sit down while Sam goes to the kitchen. "So…I wanted to apologize to you guys for my bad behavior. It's not fair to you guys. I want you to know that I'm happy for you guys and, Brooke, can we start over?"

"Of course!" I stand and shake her hand. "Oh, do you want to join us at my house?"

"Oh…no-…"

"Oh, come on, Carls. It'll be fun!" Sam says with a mouthful of food.

"Hey, don't raid my fridge!"

"Too late! Your fridge has been raided."

"Alright…I'll go. Spencer!"

"Whaaat, Carlyyy?" He yells from my left. I turn to see a pretty hot guy. "Oh, hello. Who's this?" He says with a lopsided grin.

"Brooke Hayes." I say while reaching to shake his hand. He takes it with the same grin.

"I'm Spencer Shay, Carly's brother. Nice to meet you."

"Diddo."

"Spence, can I go to Brooke's house tonight?"

"Where do you live?"

"Just a building up."

"Oh, well have fun!" The trio head upstairs, leaving here alone with Spencer.

"How old are you?"

"26 and I'm an artist."

"I know. Freddie showed me a few of your sculptures." The three come down. Freddie has a slightly shocked look on his face. The look is mimicked on Sam's.

"Whaaaat's going on, guys?" I ask skeptically.

"Nothing!" Carly says happily. She and Sam walk out in front of us while Freddie and I walk into his apartment. "Hello, Brooke!"

"Hello, Mrs. Benson. Freddie, what happened?!"

"Nothing!" He jogs up the stairs and I follow close behind.

"Freddie!" He turns to me and I give him an irresistible begging look. Like a kid begging his mom for that toy that he so desperately needs even if, in all actuality, it's just going to sit at the bottom of his toy box. "Freddie, please tell me." He's breaking because he's breathing heavy and staring at me.

"Carly kissed me, okay?!" He pauses. "As soon as she did, I pulled away, but…still…just the fact that she kissed me…"

"Please finish your sentence. I don't like this sentence, Freddie."

"I don't know how to." I shake my head.

"Are you saying…that you would throw us away to be a lapdog to a chick that you have no chance with?" He sighs.

"I don't know."

"Fine. Mull it over for a while because I don't wanna talk to you until you do, Freddie." I walk out of the room and jog out into the hall. I stop when I see Carly. "You happy, you mother fucking cunt?" I give her a brisk slap across the face.

"Brooke…" Comes Freddie's voice. I shake my head and jog out of the building and into the raining streets. I stand for a very small time before jogging to my own apartment. "Brooke." My mom says while I run to my room. I collapse and bury my head into my arms, which are folded across the seat of my chair.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This is so short cause it's the end. Thanks for reading this far, guys! The sequel (which is more like a continuation…) is gonna be up soon, but enough of that! On to the fic!

------------------------------

"Brooke…" Comes Freddie's voice. I shake my head and jog out of the building and into the raining streets. I stand for a very small time before jogging to my own apartment. "Brooke." My mom says while I run to my room. I collapse and bury my head into my arms, which are folded across the seat of my chair. "Brooke!" I turn with tear stained cheeks to see a soaking Freddie. "Brooke, why won't you talk to me?!"

"What is there to talk about?" I pause and stand. "You're in love with her, Freddie, and I can't compete with that! I get it. You don't need to tell me twice." He shakes his head.

"Why would I follow you if I wanted to be with her more? Use your logic, Brooke." He pauses. "I like you…so much. I'm not in love with you, but I'm definitely not in love with Carly. Just…give me time –a little bit of time- to…sort things out." I nod and go to sit, but he stops me by holding onto my arm. He pulls me close, which gives me butterflies. "Do you have them too?" Freddie asks while putting my hand where I can feel his heart beat.

"Yes, I do." He nods with a kind smile.

"Carly…can't do this to me anymore." I meet his eyes with my own.

"Really?" He nods and leans in for a kiss, which I accept.

-END-

----------------------

So, guys…I'm probably gonna type up my sequel, so stick around! It's called 'Tea'… To go with the theme of hot, caffeinated beverages!


End file.
